Latch for vehicle doors



Feb. 17, 1925 e. H. ELWELL LATCH FOR VEHICLE DOORS Filed May 15 'IllIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIlIIII/fl wnluunu E 5 z s 5 Ila class of latches employing Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

PATENT. OFFICE.

GEORGE HENItY ELWELL, 033 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

LATCH FOR VEHICLE DOORS.

Application filed May 15,1919. Serial No, 297,336;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoaen HENRY EL- WELL, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Vehicle Doors, of which the following is ,a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in door latches and more particularly'to that engagement with the stri 'er-plate. V

The objects of my invention are to provide a latch bolt fully adapted to the elasticity of motor car, bodies and like uses; to provide a latch bolt operated entirely by spring pressure; and to o crate and control the bolt springs by a vertlcally arranged rotatable shaft, and to provide a latch bolt that may remain fully compressed when the door, to which the latch bolt is attached, is in an open position and may be automatically released when the door resumes a closed position.

With these and other bjects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the in vention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing .and particularly pointed out' wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain features. of the device, it being understood that within the scope of what hereinafter thus is claimed various changes in form, proportion, size, and minor details of the construction can be made without departing from the'spirit or modifying any of the advanta es of the invention. 3

I am aware t at in the Letters Patent is sued March 17, 1908, No. 882,136, to Frank C. Alltmann certain claims were granted covering a latch bolt operated by a vertically arranged shaft connected therewith, but my vertical'shaft, as'it will be seen, is not connected with, nor does it 'engageo'r ooerate, the bolt. It merely o erates a spring,

. and the s ring operates the olt.

The f0 lowing'is the description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an upright view of the mechanism of the device;

a boltfor-positive.

Figure 2 is a face view of the preceding Fi ure 3 is a bottom View of the preceding figure; and a 4 Figure 4 is a side elevation View of a modification of the device.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 111g;

Casing 1 is a base-plate having face 2 formed by bending'said base-plate, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Perforation 3 in said face 2 provides, with the assistance of housing 25, a passageway 4 with pro er bearings for bolt 5. Casing 1 is provi ed with proper bearings for shaft 16 journalled thereto and extending parallel with said face 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Casing 1 is also provided with perforations 27' and 28 toreceive the end of spindle socket post 22 and push-button 18, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2.

Bolt 5 is adapted to slide longitudinally in said passageway 4 and capable'of projecting its head 6 to a position of abnormal throw-beyond the face 2 of easing 1 as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Said bolt 5 is provided with'bent arm 7 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, as a means of engagement by bolt advancing lever 8 and bolt retracting lever 9.

Said levers 8 and 9, preferably lying in the'same plane, are ,journalled to spindle socket post 22 to rotate thereon independently one of the other a limited distance. Flanges 23 with which said levers are rovided are formed by bending the met: at right angle to increase the bearin s engaging said post and to provide means y which said levers may be held close to their bear- .ings on said post, spring 10 being closely seated around said flanges 23 with its termi-' nals fixed oneto eachof saidilevers 8 and 9 as shown in Fig. 1. are also provided with arms 30 and 31 respeotively intended for engagement by detent mechanism. The normal tension of spring 10 needs only to be sufficient to give said levers 8 and 9 a tendency to close up together and therefore when lever 8 is alone held by the detent mechanism the tension of said spring 10 is in at-restposition as regards its exertion on bolt 5, but when lever 9 is alone held by the detent mechanism Said levers 8 and 9 lever 8 exerts a continuous tension against bolt-5 as shown in Fig. 1.

Spindle socket post 22 is a short shaft having a square perforation extending entirely through it longitudinally and is provided with shouldered terminals forming proper bearings to rotate in perforation 27 in casing 1 and a corresponding perforation in housing 32, as shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3.

Said post 22 is also provided with cam-arm 11 extending parallel with said levers 8 and 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

' described, is provided with a right angu- Shaft 16 journaled in casing 1, as already larly bent end 17 to constitute an actuator for levers 8 and 9 so as to swing end 17 to carry bolt advancing lever 8 away from its engagement with bolt 5 and, on the return of said shaft to normal position, to carry lever 9 in the opposite direction. Torsion spring 20'with one terminal fixed to said shaft 16 and the other terminal fixed to the'engagement of arm 30 of lever 8 permitting said arm to pass sufiiciently for said catch 13 to return to its normal position barring the return of said .arm 30. The further continued movement of said arm 30 is ada ted to operate and force catch 14 to yield sufliciently to release arm 31 of lever 9 from its interlocked position with. said catch 14, and upon the return movement of lever 9 catch 14 is adapted to yield to restore the interlocking en agement between catch 14 and arm 31, as s own in Fig. 1. Catch 13 is provided with arm 19 adapted for operative engagement with beveled arm 24 of ush-button 18 mounted in rforation 28 o casing 1 to .enable said pus -button to.be operated as a means to lift said arm 19 to o erate catch 13 against the spring tension ,0 spring 29 for the purpose of releasing arm 30 of lever 8 as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. Torsion spring 20 must be of reater strength than spring 10 in order t at shaft 16 on its return to normal position may be able to return lever 9 against the tension of spring 10 and also spring 29. V

In operation it will be seen that, u on the rotation of shaft 16 when'the mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. 1, lever 8 will rotate on spindle socket post 22 until arm. 30 has operated both catches 13 and 14 and becomes barred from its return by catch 13 by which lever 8 is held and lever 9 is released. The tension of spring 10 having been increased by this movement of 13 and lever 8, lever 9 upon its release promptly operates bolt 5 to a fully retracted position while shaft 16 is being operated. Upon the return of shaft 16 to normal position, by'means of torsion spring 20, lever 9 is carried back to its interlocking engagement with catch 14, but bolt 5 remains in its fully retracted position until, upon closing the door, push-button 18 engages the doorframe or an arm of the striker-plate by which the push-button is operated as the door goes into a, closed osition, and by this operation the beveled arm 24of the push-button lifts arm 19 of the catch 13 swinging said catch upon its pivot and away from arm 30 of lever 8 releasing said lever 8 and permitting it to operate bolt 5 to such advanced position as the .keeper will allow. A. spindle in spindle socket post perforation 12 provides another means for operating the latch. Post 22 may be rotated thereby andcam-arm 11 operating bent end 17 of shaft 16 in the same manner as the operation of said shaft.

A modification of the above construction is shown in Fig. 4. Here the bolt housing 25 includes a housing for coiled main bolt spring 103 and counteracting bolt spring 10. The main'spring 1O being of greater strength than counteracting .bolt spring 10, .it advances bolt 5 against the tension of the lesser s ring which is mounted on arm' 7 of sa1d bolt and compressed on the forward movement of said bolt by its contact with bar 26 with which the housing 25 of said bolt is provided. Carrier 21 lies between the main body of bolt 5 and main spring 10 and is moved as a part of said bolt by said main sprin until lever 15 pivoted to casing 1 is operated backwardly by shaft 16 in a similar manner as lever 8 in 'Fig. 1. presses main spring 10?,'permitting counteracting s ring 10? to operate bolt 5 to a fully retracte position. Lever 15 upon its .backward movement is caught and held by detent mechanism com rising spring 29 riveted to casing 1 and provided with catch push-button 18 which is operated in a simi ar manner as above described. A spindlev socket 12 of post 22 may operate post 22 so that cam-arm 11 engages lever This movement com- 15 and operates it to compress said main spring independently of shaft 16.

Bolt head 6 is preferably of such form as will be only partially received into the kee er so that when the keeper is in nornia relative position to the face of the latch casing the bolt will be checked by the kee er on its abnormal advancement and t us maintain a fixed non-rattling enga ement between the bolt head and keeper an allow at the same time for variations in relative distance between them as isadvantageous in the instance of motor car. bodies.

1,526,988 i It What i claim is; i a

l. The. combination with a door-frame and a door hinged thereto; of a door opening means with which the free edge of the door is provided and normally tending to hold the door open; oimeans for latching thedoor to the frame; of spring means to advance and maintain the said second means in latched position only when the door is closed; ozt manually operative means adapted to compress said spring means independently oi said second means; and means to hold in check said compressed spring means when the-door is (l e/@31 said last means heing adapted to release said spring means when; by the closing the door upon said first means said first means is operated from normal position.

3. The combination with a door irame and a door hinged thereto; of a proper casing; of a bolt slidably mounted in said casing for locking the door in a closed position to the frame; a door opening member with which the face of said casmg is provided normally holding the door open; spring means normally adapted to hold the door opening means in normal position;-spring. actuated means to advance and maintain the bolt in a locking position when the door is closed; means for compressing said bolt advancing spring means andremoving its tension from said bolt; detent mechanism for holding said bolt advancing spring means in a compressed position; means for retracting the bolt when said detent mechanism is in detension; and means with which v the door 0 ning means is provided for releasing sa d detent mechanism when said door is closed so that said bolt advancing spring 'means' may reengage and advance 'said'bolt to a locking posltion.

-3. In a latch for vehicle doors the combination with a proper latch casing having a face; of a longitudinally movable bolt slidahly mounted in said casing; of a door opening means normally holding the door open; or" spring means normally adapted to hold the door opening means in normal position; out spring actuated means to advance maintain the halt in a locking position when the door-is sod; of means to mainsaid halt in retracted position when the door open; of a rotatable shalt; said shaft being mounted said casing and extending parallel. with the lace oi? said casing; and of connections between said shaft and said halt advancing spring means whereby with the rotation of said shaft the tension oi l bolt advancing spring means is removed .rrom said halt. V i

combination of a doordrame and door hinged thereto; of a keeper tor attachment to said doordrame; of proper easing having a lace for attachment to said door; oil hoit slidahly mounted in said one ing and provided with a longitudinally elongated head adapted for a full length throw beyond said face; of spring means normally adapted to fully advance said bolt; of manu ally operative means adapted to compress said spring means independently of any movement of said belt; of means for retracting said bolt after said spring means has been compressed preparatory to the open-v ing of the door; means adapted to detain said compressed spring means while the door remains open; and of automatic means adapted to operate said last means and release said spring means and permitting said spring means to engage and advance said bolt throwing said bolt head intosaid keeper when the door is ina closed position.

'5. 'lhe combination oi a door-frame and a door hinged thereto; of a proper casing'having a face for attachment to said door" of a of the door; and of automatic means to.re-

lease said compressed spring upon the clos-- ing of the door permittingbsaid spring to re- H engage and advance said olt.

6. Ina latch for vehicle doors the combination. with a proper latch casing having a face; of a bolt slidably mounted in said casing; of means to mamtain said bolt in a retracted position; ofspring means adapted to advance said bolt; of a rotatable shaft mounted on said casing and extending parallel with the face of said casing; and of connections between said shaft and said holt advancing spring means whereby with the rotation of said shaft the tension of said bolt advancing spring means is removed from said hol l. in a latch lor vehicle doors compris ing a latch easing having a face; a bolt slidably mounted in said casing; spring mechanism adapted to exert on said bolt a holt advancing tension and a bolt retracting tension; a rotatable shalt mounted on said casing and extending parallel with the lees oil casinggand connections between said shaft and the bolt advancing spring ten sion means whereby with the rotation of said shaft the bolt advancing spring tension reved "from said holt to permit the springtension in the other direction to automatically retract said bolt.

8. in a latch :tor vehicle doors e combildlt nation with a proper latch casing; of a bolt from said bolt permitting said bolt retractslidably' mounted in said casing; of spring in means to operate said bolt to a retracted means adapted to advance said bolt; of position. means to retract said bolt when said bolt is In testimony whereof I have aflixed my I not eigfagtleldfby said Spring (ineans; of a signature, in presence of two witnesses.

rotata e s a t mounte in sai casin an of connections between said shaft an l said GEORGE HENRY ELWELL' bolt advancing spring means whereby with Witnesses: the rotation of said shaft the tension of said ARLENE C. Gnoss, 10 bolt advancing spring means is removed SUSAN V. BRINKLEY. 

